GM. This is Needs to Exist (aka NTE), delivering a startup idea that lets you escape reality—literally. No waiver required.

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Or check out other free ideas in our past newsletters.

Here’s what we’ve got for you today.

• Daily Idea - Escape, evolve, immerse

• VR Startup - Dude, how do I start?

Escape rooms, but limitless.

Inspired by @furqanr on the MFM Podcast

The One Liner

Escape rooms, but in the metaverse.

The 140 character tweet (or X) version

Tired of the same old escape rooms? Step into VR, where the puzzles are crazier, the rooms are limitless, and you can play from anywhere.

The Longer Story Version

The Problem

Escape rooms are fun… the first time. Then you run out of options, or they start feeling repetitive. Worse? They’re stuck in one place. If you want to try a new one, you’ve gotta round up your friends and travel—kinda kills the spontaneity.

Plus, physical escape rooms are limited by space and budget. You’ll never see an underwater escape room, a spaceship mission, or a full-blown Inception-style dream heist in real life.

The Solution

What if escape rooms weren’t just rooms? What if they were entire worlds?

This VR platform takes the thrill of real escape rooms and supercharges it with:

🚀 Unlimited Locations – Play in a haunted castle, a sinking submarine, or a cyberpunk dystopia. No travel required.
🧠 Next-Level Puzzles – VR lets you manipulate objects, unlock secret passageways, and solve multi-dimensional riddles.
👥 Social Mode – Team up with friends or compete to escape the fastest. Built-in voice chat means no Zoom calls needed.
🔄 Endless Updates – New rooms drop regularly, keeping things fresh.

It’s like an escape room and a blockbuster video game had a baby—except you’re inside the action.

How We’d Build It

Here’s how this goes from idea to reality:

• Game Engine: Unreal Engine 5 for insane graphics and physics.

• VR Tech: Built for Meta Quest, HTC Vive, and PSVR (with future AR expansion).

• Multiplayer Infra: Photon or Spatial.io for real-time co-op play.

• AI-Powered Puzzle Logic: GPT-4-turbo or Unity ML for dynamic, reactive puzzles.

• No-Code Backend: Bubble + Firebase to spin up fast without wasting dev hours.

Why It Needs to Exist

Escape rooms are cool, but they’re stuck in the past. This brings them into the future.

People already love puzzles, games, and immersive experiences (look at the $50B+ VR market). This is a no-brainer evolution.

It’s not for casual gamers looking for mindless fun—it’s for people who love a challenge, want to escape into a new world, and solve something epic with friends.

Needs To Exist Pro

Because The World Needs More Genius (Or at Least Fewer Dumb Ideas)

For the low, low price of $99, you can unlock the motherlode of startup ideas—because let’s face it, the world isn’t exactly drowning in brilliance right now.

• Over 2,000 Business Ideas (and Growing):

  That’s right, a never-ending buffet of potential startups—some genius, some insane, but all better than whatever’s clogging up LinkedIn today.

• Effortlessly Searchable and Categorized:

  Because who the hell has time to scroll through 2,000+ ideas looking for the one? We made it easy. You’re welcome.

• Curated from Reputable Sources:

  No Reddit conspiracy theories here—these ideas are handpicked from smart people who know what they’re talking about.

• Comprehensive Action Plans Included:

  Got an idea you like? Great! We actually tell you what to do next instead of leaving you staring at your laptop like an idiot.

👉 $99 a year. Less than your coffee addiction. More valuable than your last 50 Google searches. Sign up now, or keep waiting for that one great idea to just fall into your lap. (Spoiler: it won’t.)

VR Startup Idea - Where To Start

You’ve got a VR startup idea. Maybe it’s the next big thing in gaming, training simulations, or immersive fitness. But you’re stuck.

Where do you even start? Do you need to code? Do you need a $10K headset? Do you need investors before you’ve even built anything?

No.

You need to do one thing: get an MVP in people’s hands—fast.

Here’s how to hack together a working prototype without spending years (or your life savings) figuring it out.

🔥 First, Nail the Concept

Forget coding. Forget hardware. Start with proof of demand.

1. Find the real pain point. Ask, “Why does VR make this better?” If the answer is just “because it’s cool,” rethink it.

2. Look for underserved niches. VR fitness, therapy, and real estate are booming. But what about VR for job training, therapy for phobias, or immersive history lessons?

3. Find one raving fan. Can you find one person who’s desperate for this? If you can, you’re onto something.

🚀 No Code? No Problem.

You don’t need a software team or $200/hr developers. Use these under-the-radar tools to get your MVP running:

1. Unity + Ready Player Me – Unity is free, and Ready Player Me gives you instant customizable avatars. No 3D modeling required.

2. MVP Builder: ShapesXR – Create interactive VR prototypes in minutes. It’s Figma for VR. You can test ideas before writing a single line of code.

3. Frame – Want to build a VR environment without coding? This free tool lets you create multi-user virtual spaces in minutes.

4. Runway ML – AI-powered video and 3D generation. Helps you mock up visuals without needing Pixar-level animation skills.

🛠️ MVP in a Week: The Speed Run

Day 1-2: Mock up your idea using ShapesXR or Figma. Show people. Get feedback.
Day 3-4: Build an interactive prototype in Unity with free assets.
Day 5: Test it with 5 people. Watch where they struggle. Fix it.
Day 6-7: Launch a simple landing page with a signup form (Carrd or Webflow). Start collecting interest.

💡 Bonus: Got no audience? Run $5/day ads on Meta to see if people click. If no one cares, pivot.

🤯 Think You Need a Huge Budget? Wrong.

Most people think VR = $$$. But you can hack this together lean:

• $0-50/mo – Use free dev tools & templates.

• $500-$1K – Hire a freelancer on Upwork to polish your prototype.

• $100-$500 – Run micro ads to validate interest before building.

If you can’t get people excited before spending real money, you won’t get them excited after.

💰 How to Get $$$ (Without Selling Your Soul)

• Pre-sell – Create a waitlist or pre-order page. If people won’t put down $5 now, they won’t buy later.

• Grants & free money – Look at XR startups grants from Meta, Niantic, and Epic Games.

• Kickstarter/IndieGogo – Still works, if you make an insane demo video.

• Partnerships – Find a non-tech company that needs your solution (think training, fitness, or education). Let them fund it.

TL;DR

🚀 You don’t need a team, investors, or coding skills to start a VR startup.

1. Prove demand → Find one person who desperately needs this.

2. Use no-code/low-code tools → Unity, ShapesXR, Ready Player Me.

3. Build an MVP fast → Sketch, test, and iterate in a week.

4. Validate with real people → No traction? Pivot before building.

5. Get funding smartly → Pre-sell, get grants, or partner up.

The winners aren’t the ones who dream the longest. They’re the ones who build the fastest.

One More Meme